For what ever reason, thinking  back 55+ years to  my childhood, I remember those days on the lower White River during Summers with my family playing on sandbars.  One of my favorite toys was to take along one of the Easter "metal" toy buckets and toy shovel.  I remember clearly, going to the top of any sandbar and digging in anywhere at the crest and finding, with no trouble at all,  turtle eggs everywhere.  There was always so may as to be touching, nest, after nest, after nests.  Where the sand had caved off hundreds were exposed.  Today you could go over there and not find any, or with great difficulty.  If those eggs were that thick today I bet they would not last several nights.  Racoons would destroy them in quick fashion.  They destroy everthing else.  Other things could have contributed to the decline.  White River is now much colder, with tailwater releases from 5 large dams.  Commercial fishing nets are now made of nylon that last forever, lost nets can keep catching and killing.  Back then nets were made of cotton which would rot out rather quickly even with tar coatings.  Raccon populations are at an all time high, no one traps them anymore due to low prices for raccon meat or fur.  Red wolves are gone now but were around a little in 1950.  For any predator a raccon supper must be a tough meal to catch and kill.  Think of them a pint size grizzles . Every log in the river them was covered with turtles. NOT NOW.  Logs back 55 years ago had turtles stacked on top of turtles.